1958 Major League Baseball season
Sports season
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The 1958 major league baseball season began on April 14, 1958. The regular season ended on September 28, with the Milwaukee Braves and New York Yankees as the regular season champions of the National League and American League, respectively. The postseason began with Game 1 of the 55th World Series on October 1 and ended with Game 7 on October 9. In the second iteration of this World Series matchup (and a rematch of the previous year), the Yankees defeated the Braves, four games to three, capturing their 18th championship in franchise history, since their previous in 1956. Going into the season, the defending World Series champions were the Milwaukee Braves from the 1957 season.
National League (NL)
- April 14 – September 28, 1958 (AL)
- April 15 – September 28, 1958 (NL)
- October 1–9, 1958
| 1958 MLB season | |
|---|---|
| League | American League (AL) National League (NL) |
| Sport | Baseball |
| Duration | Regular season:
|
| Games | 154 |
| Teams | 16 (8 per league) |
| TV partner(s) | NBC, CBS |
| Regular season | |
| Season MVP | AL: Jackie Jensen (BOS) NL: Ernie Banks (CHC) |
| AL champions | New York Yankees |
| AL runners-up | Chicago White Sox |
| NL champions | Milwaukee Braves |
| NL runners-up | Pittsburgh Pirates |
| World Series | |
| Venue | |
| Champions | New York Yankees |
| Runners-up | Milwaukee Braves |
| World Series MVP | Bob Turley (NYY) |
The 25th All-Star Game was held on July 8 at Baltimore Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, Maryland, home of the Baltimore Orioles. The American League won, 4–3.
Following the relocation trend that began in 1953, the National League's Brooklyn Dodgers and New York Giants moved from New York, New York (Brooklyn and Manhattan, respectively) to California (Los Angeles and San Francisco, respectively), becoming the fourth and fifth teams to relocate in the relocation era and leaving New York a one-team city. The moves to California marked the first time major-league teams played on the West Coast. The National League exodus from New York would go on to inspire the proposed Continental League the following year, which pressured the two existing leagues to begin expansion.[1] New York went without a National League team for four seasons, until the expansion New York Mets began play in 1962.
On June 6, the Detroit Tigers became the 15th team in professional baseball to break the color line when they fielded Ozzie Virgil Sr.[2]
Schedule
The 1958 schedule consisted of 154 games for all teams in the American League and National League, each of which had eight teams. Each team was scheduled to play 22 games against the other seven teams of their respective league. This continued the format put in place since the 1904 season (except for 1919) and would be used until 1961 in the American League and 1962 in the National League.
American League Opening Day took place on April 14, featuring the Boston Red Sox and Washington Senators, while National League Opening Day took place the following day, featuring all eight NL teams. This continued the trend from the previous season which saw both leagues opened on different days. The final day of the regular season was on September 28, which saw fourteen teams play. The World Series took place between October 1 and October 9.
Rule changes
The 1958 season saw the following rule changes:
- The Open Classification level ceased to exist, as the minor-league Pacific Coast League (PCL) was demoted to Triple-A following the relocation of the Giants and Dodgers to California.[3]
- The bonus rule, which stipulated that players signed to major-league contract were required to spend the first two years on the parent team before he could farmed out or if signed to minor-league contract, players could not be moved up or down in the farms system for one year, was removed for the second time. In its place, Any player previously reserved by a minor league team of Double-A classification or higher, and who had been in the major or minor league system for at least four years, were now subjects to an unrestricted draft. For players in Single-A, players needed a minimum of three years to be subject to the draft, while players of lower classifications needed a minimum of two years.[4]
- Selection prices for players drafted by major-league team were set at $25,000 (equivalent to $279,000 in 2025).[4]
- Scorers could now change a call if a player or umpire asked for said call to be checked.[4]
Teams
Standings
American League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York Yankees | 92 | 62 | .597 | — | 44–33 | 48–29 |
| Chicago White Sox | 82 | 72 | .532 | 10 | 47–30 | 35–42 |
| Boston Red Sox | 79 | 75 | .513 | 13 | 49–28 | 30–47 |
| Cleveland Indians | 77 | 76 | .503 | 14½ | 42–34 | 35–42 |
| Detroit Tigers | 77 | 77 | .500 | 15 | 43–34 | 34–43 |
| Baltimore Orioles | 74 | 79 | .484 | 17½ | 46–31 | 28–48 |
| Kansas City Athletics | 73 | 81 | .474 | 19 | 43–34 | 30–47 |
| Washington Senators | 61 | 93 | .396 | 31 | 33–44 | 28–49 |
National League
| Team | W | L | Pct. | GB | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Braves | 92 | 62 | .597 | — | 48–29 | 44–33 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates | 84 | 70 | .545 | 8 | 49–28 | 35–42 |
| San Francisco Giants | 80 | 74 | .519 | 12 | 44–33 | 36–41 |
| Cincinnati Redlegs | 76 | 78 | .494 | 16 | 40–37 | 36–41 |
| Chicago Cubs | 72 | 82 | .468 | 20 | 35–42 | 37–40 |
| St. Louis Cardinals | 72 | 82 | .468 | 20 | 39–38 | 33–44 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers | 71 | 83 | .461 | 21 | 39–38 | 32–45 |
| Philadelphia Phillies | 69 | 85 | .448 | 23 | 35–42 | 34–43 |
Tie games
4 tie games (4 in AL, 0 in NL), which are not factored into winning percentage or games behind (and were often replayed again) occurred throughout the season.
American League
The Kansas City Athletics and Washington Senators had two tie games. The Baltimore Orioles, Boston Red Sox, Chicago White Sox, and New York Yankees had one each.
- May 4 (game 2), Washington Senators vs. Kansas City Athletics, tied at 2 after nine innings due to rain.[6]
- June 13, Baltimore Orioles vs. Chicago White Sox, tied at 5 after 14 innings due to curfew.[7]
- June 24, Kansas City Athletics vs. Washington Senators, tied at 2 after a shortened eight innings due to rain.[8]
- July 5, New York Yankees vs. Boston Red Sox, tied at 3 after 10 innings. Top of 11th inning, which saw seven plate appearances from Boston with two outs, was negated due to 11:59 p.m. curfew to prevent game from spilling into Sunday.[9]
Postseason
The postseason began on October 1 and ended on October 9 with the New York Yankees defeating the Milwaukee Braves in the 1958 World Series in seven games.
Bracket
| World Series | ||||
| AL | New York Yankees | 4 | ||
| NL | Milwaukee Braves | 3 | ||
Managerial changes
Off-season
| Team | Former Manager | New Manager |
|---|---|---|
| Chicago White Sox | Marty Marion | Al López |
| Cleveland Indians | Kerby Farrell | Bobby Bragan |
In-season
League leaders
American League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Ted Williams (BOS) | .328 |
| OPS | Ted Williams (BOS) | 1.042 |
| HR | Mickey Mantle (NYY) | 42 |
| RBI | Jackie Jensen (BOS) | 122 |
| R | Mickey Mantle (NYY) | 127 |
| H | Nellie Fox (CWS) | 187 |
| SB | Luis Aparicio (CWS) | 29 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bob Turley (NYY) | 21 |
| L | Pedro Ramos (WSH) | 18 |
| ERA | Whitey Ford (NYY) | 2.01 |
| K | Early Wynn (CWS) | 179 |
| IP | Frank Lary (DET) | 260.1 |
| SV | Ryne Duren (NYY) Dick Hyde (WSH) |
19 |
| WHIP | Whitey Ford (NYY) | 1.076 |
National League
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| AVG | Richie Ashburn (PHI) | .350 |
| OPS | Willie Mays (SF) | 1.002 |
| HR | Ernie Banks (CHC) | 47 |
| RBI | Ernie Banks (CHC) | 129 |
| R | Willie Mays (SF) | 121 |
| H | Richie Ashburn (PHI) | 215 |
| SB | Willie Mays (SF) | 31 |
| Stat | Player | Total |
|---|---|---|
| W | Bob Friend (PIT) Warren Spahn (MIL) |
22 |
| L | Ron Kline (PIT) | 16 |
| ERA | Stu Miller (SF) | 2.47 |
| K | Sam Jones (STL) | 225 |
| IP | Warren Spahn (MIL) | 290.0 |
| SV | Roy Face (PIT) | 20 |
| WHIP | Warren Spahn (MIL) | 1.148 |
Milestones
Batters
- Bob Lemon (CLE):
- Tied a Major League record for most career home runs by a pitcher by hitting his 37th home run as a pitcher (he hit two additional home run as a pinch hitter) on April 30 against the Washington Senators.[14]
- Stan Musial (STL):
- Became the eighth member of the 3,000-hit club with a double in the sixth inning against the Chicago Cubs on May 13.[15]
Pitchers
No-hitters
- Jim Bunning (DET):
- Bunning threw his first career no-hitter and fourth no-hitter in franchise history, by defeating the Boston Red Sox 3–0 in game one of a doubleheader on July 20. Bunning walked two, hit one by pitch, and struck out 12.[16]
- Hoyt Wilhelm (BAL/CLE):
- Wilhelm threw his first career no-hitter and fifth no-hitter in franchise history as a part of the Baltimore Orioles, by defeating the New York Yankees 1–0 on September 20. Wilhelm walked two and struck out eight.[17]
Awards and honors
Regular season
| Baseball Writers' Association of America Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| BBWAA Award | National League | American League |
| Rookie of the Year | Orlando Cepeda (SF) | Albie Pearson (WSH) |
| Cy Young Award | — | Bob Turley (NYY) |
| Most Valuable Player | Ernie Banks (CHC) | Jackie Jensen (BOS) |
| Babe Ruth Award (World Series MVP) |
— | Elston Howard (NYY) |
| Gold Glove Awards | ||
| Position | National League | American League |
| Pitcher | Harvey Haddix (CIN) | Bobby Shantz (NYY) |
| Catcher | Del Crandall (MIL) | Sherm Lollar (CWS) |
| 1st Base | Gil Hodges (LAD) | Vic Power (CLE/KCA) |
| 2nd Base | Bill Mazeroski (PIT) | Frank Bolling (DET) |
| 3rd Base | Ken Boyer (STL) | Frank Malzone (BOS) |
| Shortstop | Roy McMillan (CIN) | Luis Aparicio (CWS) |
| Left field | Frank Robinson (CIN) | Norm Siebern (NYY) |
| Center field | Willie Mays (SF) | Jimmy Piersall (BOS) |
| Right field | Hank Aaron (MIL) | Al Kaline (DET) |
Other awards
| The Sporting News Awards | ||
|---|---|---|
| Award | National League | American League |
| Player of the Year[18] | — | Bob Turley (NYY) |
| Pitcher of the Year[19] | Warren Spahn (MIL) | Bob Turley (NYY) |
| Rookie of the Year[20] (Player) |
Orlando Cepeda (SF) | Albie Pearson (WSH) |
| Rookie of the Year[20] (Pitcher) |
Carl Willey (MIL) | Ryne Duren (NYY) |
| Manager of the Year[21] | — | Casey Stengel (NYY) |
| Executive of the Year[22] | Joe L. Brown (PIT) | — |
Monthly awards
Player of the Month
| Month | National League |
|---|---|
| May | Willie Mays (SF) Stan Musial (STL) |
| June | Frank Thomas (PIT) |
| July | Joey Jay (MIL) |
| August | Lew Burdette (MIL) |
| September | Willie Mays (SF) |
Home field attendance
| Team name | Wins | %± | Home attendance | %± | Per game |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Milwaukee Braves[23] | 92 | −3.2% | 1,971,101 | −11.0% | 25,599 |
| Los Angeles Dodgers[24] | 71 | −15.5% | 1,845,556 | 79.5% | 23,968 |
| New York Yankees[25] | 92 | −6.1% | 1,428,438 | −4.6% | 18,313 |
| Pittsburgh Pirates[26] | 84 | 35.5% | 1,311,988 | 54.2% | 17,039 |
| San Francisco Giants[27] | 80 | 15.9% | 1,272,625 | 94.6% | 16,528 |
| Detroit Tigers[28] | 77 | −1.3% | 1,098,924 | −13.6% | 14,272 |
| Boston Red Sox[29] | 79 | −3.7% | 1,077,047 | −8.8% | 13,988 |
| St. Louis Cardinals[30] | 72 | −17.2% | 1,063,730 | −10.1% | 13,815 |
| Chicago Cubs[31] | 72 | 16.1% | 979,904 | 46.1% | 12,726 |
| Philadelphia Phillies[32] | 69 | −10.4% | 931,110 | −18.8% | 12,092 |
| Kansas City Athletics[33] | 73 | 23.7% | 925,090 | 2.7% | 11,860 |
| Baltimore Orioles[34] | 74 | −2.6% | 829,991 | −19.4% | 10,641 |
| Chicago White Sox[35] | 82 | −8.9% | 797,451 | −29.8% | 10,357 |
| Cincinnati Redlegs[36] | 76 | −5.0% | 788,582 | −26.4% | 10,241 |
| Cleveland Indians[37] | 77 | 1.3% | 663,805 | −8.1% | 8,734 |
| Washington Senators[38] | 61 | 10.9% | 475,288 | 4.0% | 6,093 |
Venues
The Los Angeles Dodgers, newly relocated from their long-time home in Brooklyn as the Brooklyn Dodgers, leave Ebbets Field after playing there for 45 seasons, moving into Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum where they would play for four seasons through 1961.
The San Francisco Giants, newly relocated from their long-time home in New York City as the New York Giants, leave the then-current iteration of the Polo Grounds after playing there for 67 seasons (75 seasons including previous iterations of the Polo Grounds,) moving into Seals Stadium where they would play for two seasons through the following season, 1959.
Media
Television
CBS and NBC aired weekend Game of the Week broadcasts. NBC began airing a special regional feed of its games in the southeast. The All-Star Game and World Series also aired on NBC.
